Risa
Bright Future Ahead
Risa’s life was on track. She was a straight-A college student, working part time at a fitness club (the perfect job for an exercise and nutrition enthusiast), and she was in love with her new boyfriend. Then, two pink lines in the pregnancy test window sent her thoughts and emotions into a whirling, twisting storm. They also sent her to Women’s Life Care Center, where her over-the-top stress level would be met head-on with a myriad of resources and support. For Risa, motherhood would bring transformation and empowerment. . .
“Things got very real” at her ultrasound appointment, as Risa recalls. Seeing her child for the first time on the ultrasound screen, she told us that she was “happy and excited – but very overwhelmed”.
This would be complicated. Risa’s head was full of weighty questions:
How would the pregnancy affect her relationship with the father of the baby?
How would it affect her parents?
Would she be able to finish college?
How could she possibly maintain her high GPA while working part-time and being pregnant?
Would it put an end to her career plans?
Anxious, tired and scared, still Risa dived into our programming. She took part in pregnancy, parenting education and financial wellness education -- and while she learned, she earned all of the items necessary for her baby’s arrival and beyond. She also joined a maternal support group and participated in life coaching, setting goals and uncovering the strength within her.
When Risa began life coaching very early in her pregnancy, her stress level was ‘off the charts’. By the end of her eight sessions, she was just slightly above average in her stress scale score, moving from an initial score of 31 to an end score of 18.
“Now, I am better able to handle distress in healthy ways, to uncover the best parenting strategies and to plan for the future of my family,” she said.
When she completes her college degree this spring, Risa plans to target her efforts at helping women to overcome unhealthy behaviors and achieve their personal potential. She says that she is now much more confident about herself and her abilities:
“I know that I will accomplish the goals I set for myself, and that I will provide for my son . . . I know that I have a bright future.”